Social Media Divide II

In biology, we are taught that a virus can be both living and non-living. It possesses genetic material, either RNA or DNA. The ability to reproduce and interact within a host, gives it some qualities of life. Yet outside a host, it lacks metabolism, growth, reproduction, ATP generation, or response to stimuli. It has no cellular structure, no membrane or cytoplasm, just genetic material wrapped in a protein coat called a CAPSID. It stands on the border between living and non-living.

It only responds to the conditions it finds itself in. But this piece is not just about viruses; it is about us as a people. We were a people who once thrived on mutual respect with established constituted authority, even before modern day civilization. We had established protocols for resolving disputes, and reconciliation was always the goal. Ours was a pride-worthy culture where morals, values, and positive impact measured a person’s worth, not just the weight of his purse.

Like a dormant virus that becomes active and destructive when it finds a host, the internet has awakened traits one would argue were never our values. Today, when disagreements arise, we come online, we rant, we dig, investigate, instigate, denigrate, implicate, and accuse. Sometimes, we even expose private matters, rubbish our brothers in public for likes and clout, and chase cheap validation. We were never this way. So what changed? Did the internet reveal a recessive flaw in us, or did it mutate our values?

Respected figures now air personal conflicts online, while followers curse and insult dissenters. Opinions are judged by wealth, politics, or allegiance. But the internet never forgets. What you say today can be used against you tomorrow, often stripped of context. You may explain in vain, or not even be there to explain at all. The system may feel rigged against you, and you will ask, "Why me?" only to realize that digital footprints are more permanent than we think.

When issues arise, let us take them off this space and seek amicable settlement. Let us criticize without being abusive, correct without being condescending, and disagree without being dehumanizing. Let us remember that behind every username is a human being with dignity, history, and wounds we cannot see.

The internet is just a tool... plastic and metal... powerful only when plugged in. Like a USB drive, it cannot do anything on its own; it only runs the programs it is given, copies the files it is fed, and reflects the intent of whoever inserts it into a system. There is room for evolution of social values, but it should be positive evolution. Let us choose what we upload into this shared digital space. Let us not become parasitic and ungrateful hosts to our own humanity. Let us not became the non living virus in the absence of social media and turn to be destructive on this space once access is gained.

®Ahmed Salim Jn ✍️ 

#Uloko